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Greater Lowell Tech floats to the top at City of Lights Parade

TYNGSBORO -- Greater Lowell Technical High School captured the Mayor's Award at the recent annual Lowell City of Lights Parade.

The school's entry was a sleigh and winter-wonderland theme. Students from the Carpentry, Electrical and Painting & Design programs worked together to create the float.

Students and instructors began the project only a few weeks after returning from summer break. Carpentry students built and assembled the 12-foot-by-20-foot sleigh structure; Painting and Design students painted the caricatures and decorations; and Electrical students made the entire float come to life with lighting.

Carpentry students sketched all the decorations onto plywood by freehand and cut out the drawings. The sleigh was pulled by a team of Clydesdale horses, with an image of Boreas of Greek mythology, symbolizing the north wind; while the Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang enjoyed a skate. The four corners of the sleigh were anchored by 8-foot snowmen, donning scarves and stovepipe hats. The sleigh was also decked out with many characters enjoying traditional wintertime fun, including kids tobogganing, skating, sledding, snowboarding and skiing.

Students constructed a ski chalet with a smoking chimney that was attached to the back of the float.

All of the decorations were painted by students in Painting & Design.

The number of items on the float took a complete team effort from Painting & Design, which encompassed the entire shop of about 60 students.

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"It's always great to watch shops work together on a project," Director of Technical Studies John Sheehan said. "Between the construction of the structures, the cutting-out and painting of the characters, everyone had to be on the same page and communicating."

"It is a great exercise for the students," Carpentry Instructor Dan Hamel said. "The coordination and cooperation between shops is incredible. It teaches the students how important it is to work together. They have to meet deadlines and get the job done, otherwise it puts the project behind schedule. It is great to see the sense of accomplishment the students have when they complete the float."

In addition to entering a float, Student Activities Coordinator Rayeanne Gentry organized Greater Lowell Tech students to volunteer the day of the parade. Community-service students held the banners for organizations participating in the parade march.

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